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'There is a fine line between what is fair and isn't... Johnny isn't going to change his ways'
Johnny Sexton will not alter his confrontational playing style, Ireland assistant coach Richie Murphy has insisted. Boss Joe Schmidt admitted Sexton acts as bait to opposing defenders in the wake of the fly-half’s head injury scare in Ireland’s 22-13 Six Nations win in Scotland.
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British and Irish Lions star Sexton carries the ball flat to the line, passing at the very last instant to create space for his team-mates – and skills coach Murphy insisted any change would curb that threat.
Sexton lasted just 24 minutes of Ireland’s slender win in Edinburgh on February 9, but is fully fit for Sunday’s trip to Rome to face Italy. “He plays flat on the line; when you play flat on the line, you are going to get hit,” said Murphy.
“Obviously we don’t want him off the pitch, but there is definitely a fine line between what is fair and what isn’t fair. As long as the referees are able to judge that and decide that, Johnny is not going to change the way he plays.
“If he changes, he is not the same player he was. He doesn’t create the same holes for players that he creates for other people. Then there is no point in having him. It’s a two-fold thing really. The idea of him changing his game so that he can stay on the pitch doesn’t really fit.
“He needs to play the game he feels is best. He is a confrontational type of character, he wants to play on the gain line. He wants to create space for others. I can’t see that changing.
“He is going to play the game the way he has done for the last number of years, which is part of what made him World Player of the Year. If it brings him to that level I can’t see him going away from that.”
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Richie Murphy with a squad update ahead of #ITAvIRE#TeamOfUs #ShoulderToShoulder https://t.co/YBAnA1vs9F pic.twitter.com/M2Vb4um4YE
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 20, 2019
Sexton’s careful positioning drew Scotland’s defenders out of the line en route to Jacob Stockdale’s fine set-play score as Ireland shrugged off their opening-weekend defeat to England at Murrayfield.
Munster fly-half Joey Carbery piloted Ireland to victory after Sexton was withdrawn injured, further underscoring his steady Test level progression. Head coach Schmidt might be tempted to hand Carbery a start in Rome, given the continued need to grow depth with one eye on the autumn World Cup.
But various injuries have restricted Sexton’s game time this term, and Ireland might want to hand him further exposure ahead of the remaining Six Nations clashes with France and Wales. Asked if Sunday’s Italy encounter would be the perfect time for Carbery to start, a cautious Murphy replied: “With all these games it is about getting the right mix on the pitch.
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“Joey obviously played a lot of the Scottish game so it is trying to balance that up with game time for Johnny. We’ve watched them training over the last few days. Both guys are in good form. We’ll just make a decision a little bit later on.
“Joey has started games for us before; I don’t think he has started a Six Nations game. It would be a natural progression for him at this stage. Obviously he came on when Johnny went off very early against Scotland. He probably had a little bit of a shaky start but built into the game. Those opportunities, when they come along, he needs to grasp them with both hands.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Haha lads lads lads, that’s how you have a holiday In Majorca
2 Go to commentshit on Lynagh was defo late and card-worthy. The other 2 are bang on OK. Hurts you at Test level if youre timing is off and the nostrils are flared. Jerry C knew when to lean in on one, Finau just needs to keep his discipline and head straight.
5 Go to commentsSlade was exceptional against Gloucester. Not only was he doing the classic Slade stuff of running amazing lines and timing passes to perfection to put his wingers into space, he was kicking goals, flying off the line smashing people and crashing into rucks like a flanker… his hair even looked on point. 😍
1 Go to commentsThat’s really sad, hope everyone involved is ok. At least he had pants on.
2 Go to commentsTo be fair it was nowhere bear the Leinster first team (for which, btw, Leinster copped nothing like the outrage that Jake White did for sending a rotated team to the UK). But it’s fun to watch the Stormers doing their thing. They are attracting big, diverse crowds of young fans, and deservedly so. Great to see.
1 Go to commentsIt might be legal but he’s sailing pretty close to the wind. Not a lot needs to go wrong for Finau to end up in the bin. Was it late? Not quite, but borderline. High? A couple of CM within the laws, no room for error with that one. Did he wrap the arms? There was a token effort to wrap one arm, the intent was clearly to hit with the shoulder. So yeah, it’s legal, just. But as we all know, a very slight change in the dynamics could easily have him seeing red. Hopefully not when it really matters.
5 Go to commentsCan we also show some love for Tane Edmed’s fantastic draw and pass? Put his body on the line and committed the defender before letting go of that pass. Flawless skill.
5 Go to commentsYou forget this is Rassie Erasmus who is still holding the Springbok keys. Even with Felix Jones orchestrating a really tight RWC SF last year. It still wasn't enough to get England past their particular Springbok Monkey in world cups. The reason is FJ was going off of what they did in 2019 not necessarily adapting to current Springboks. So yes, Australia can get passed England because let's be honest, England have a one track strategy, Springboks do not. Even with rush defense I wouldn't be surprised if Rassie continually tweaks it. Also bear in mind Rassie is happy to sacrifice a few mid year and inter World Cup matches to pin point how opposition plays and how to again tweak strategies to get his Springboks in peak performance for the next World Cup. As much as most teams like to win games in front of them and try to win everything, Rassie always makes sure to learn and train for the greatest showdown International Rugby has to offer. Tbh, most people remember World Cup wins and ignore intermediate losses as a result but will remember also WC losses, Ireland, even if they won games in the interim. So even if games are won against the Springboks, it's likely Rassie is just getting a feel for how opposition is moving and adapt accordingly…in time. For Rassie, a loss is never a loss because he uses it as a chance to learn and improve. Sometimes during a game, again like the England match in last year's Semi Final.
7 Go to commentsDanny don't care. He pretends to care but he don't. He says all this stuff to justify his reasoning but no one can claim that legitimately. He knew exactly what he was doing and wondered if his old team mate would overlook it, which he did. Ref has got to be sidelined or properly trained. It's one thing for refs to move up the ranks but if it was me I would require refs to either have played in different clubs or not at all having the temptation to bias in high stakes games like this. This has got to be stamped out. But then again World Rugby is so destroying the game of rugby in an attempt to be more “safe” and “concussion free”. What they are doing is making it more infuriating for the fans and more difficult for the refs to officiate evenly and consistently. It's fast become Australian Rules football. If guys don't want concussions, they should have played chess. Stop complaining you oldies of the game. When they played the game was vastly heavier hitting than it is now but of course they can't see that.
2 Go to commentsJa, why do Bulls get flack for not bringing their best but Leinster never bring their best and it goes “unnoticed”?
4 Go to commentsIt’ll be very interesting to see how Razor’s AB’s handle the new England rush D. It’s basically the Bok recipe they copied, so if England goes well then we know most likely the Boks will go well too. If England cops a hiding then we’ll have to study and adapt.
7 Go to commentsTypical trait of an australian is to moan. Goes well with there lack of humbleness as evident by the Reds bench on the weekend.
5 Go to commentsSBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
12 Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
7 Go to commentsSensational tackle. The reds one was late and rightly penalised. The other two were simultaneous with the pass. If nitpicking TMOs can’t find fault there clearly isn’t any.
5 Go to commentsBrumbies fully deserved their win on the back of their physicality and desire to control the ball. Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua and Tyrel Lomax should be the ABs starting front row when we start our test schedule. They have “come of age” and have bested all they have faced as well as been dominant with ball in hand in making the gainline. With De Groot, Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell backed up by Taukei'aho and Cody Taylor there's not an international front row that can trouble us. Can't wait to face the Boks over there, won't be no one point game this time.
7 Go to commentsKinda strange that he wasn’t with a premiership team or a higher level of rugby? Start playing late or something? With that kind of size and athleticism you’d think someone would have picked him up?
2 Go to commentsShows how much attitude matters. Last week the Brumbies got done, this week they dominated the tournament leaders, who were likely thinking they could cruise to victory.
7 Go to commentsA Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
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